Product Care
Take care of your Rehbands – and they'll take care of you!
We're incredibly proud of how durable our products are. In this article you'll learn how to properly care for your Rehband products so they stay in top shape for their entire lifespan. Follow our simple care tips and you'll be surprised how many years your product lasts.
Warmth as a key function
Rehband supports are made from an extremely durable, heat-generating rubber material. The key function of warmth in Rehband supports is to protect muscles, joints and soft tissue from injury.
The material's insulating properties retain the body heat generated during physical activity – but simply wearing the supports already creates a warming effect. The increased blood flow and improved muscle function driven by that warmth enable higher performance.
Train. Wash. Repeat.
Physical activity raises your body temperature and makes you sweat – nothing new there. Every athlete who has ever worn knee sleeves knows the warming sensation during training and the sweat-soaked sleeves afterwards.
But don't worry: sweat-soaked doesn't automatically mean smelly. With the right care, you can get your Rehband products back to their best in just a few steps.
DRY
Turn them inside out after training and let them dry (don't leave them sitting in your gym bag for hours).
WASH
Wash with similar colours at 40 °C on a gentle or warm cycle.
A laundry bag is recommended but not strictly necessary.
DRY
Gently pull back into shape and dry flat at room temperature.
In extreme cases, when odours persist despite a regular wash, place the sleeves in an airtight bag (e.g. Ziploc) in the freezer overnight. This helps reduce the accumulated bacteria that are often the cause of stubborn odours.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Over the years we've heard a lot of creative solutions for fighting odours. Here are a few things you should definitely avoid:
- Don't put them in the dryer. High temperatures damage the material and seams and can melt the logos.
- Don't boil them. We've seen it many times – please don't. A machine wash is more than enough to remove odours.
- Don't bleach them. Bleach breaks down the material and fades the colours – regular detergent is all you need.
HOW DO ATHLETES KEEP THEIR REHBANDS CLEAN?
OCR athlete Ryan Kent says:
“I've never boiled them or put them in the freezer, but I definitely throw them in the washer at least once a week or every two weeks. I sweat a lot in general, but the heat and humidity here in South Carolina take it to another level. After a really good workout they're completely soaked – but that's what they're made for. I usually just toss them in with the rest of my laundry.”
Asked about the worst smell they've ever had, he answers:
“I once had a pair sit in my trunk for a few weeks and the smell eventually spread through the whole car. Honestly it didn't really bother me – maybe I just got used to it. It wasn't until my girlfriend refused to get in that I felt obliged to take them out.”
Functional Fitness legend Annie Thorisdottir has used Rehband sleeves for many years. Here's how she cares for hers:
“There's no problem at all putting the knee sleeves in the washing machine. I wash mine about once a week together with my training clothes. Sometimes I choose a slightly longer wash cycle, but they come out clean and smelling fresh. Then I just let them dry standing up. You sweat in them just like your training clothes, so they should be treated the same way.”
Ready for your next session?
Explore our full range of knee sleeves, or check our knee sleeve guide if you're not sure which thickness is right for you.